Clamping device



Oct. 8, 1940. c. BOWMAN 2,217,042

CLAMPING DEVICE Filed July 28, 1939 I N VE N TOR. fia//es L Bowman 43' l J ar-.- BY

ATTORNEY.

Patented Get. 8, 1940 Ni'i'E SITES CLAMPIN G DEVICE Charles L. Bowman, Canton,

The Bowdil Company,

Ohio, assignor' to a corporation of Ohio Application July 28, 1939, Serial No. 287,115

3 Claims. I (01. 24-126) My invention relates in general to clamping devices and more particularly to clamping devices for anchoring a rope or cable or the like to a stationary object.

In the mining of coal, a large coal cutting machine isv placed on the ground upon skids and is slowly dragged on the ground by means of a wire stranded cable which is attached or connected to a stake. It is estimated that the coal cutting machine weighs several tons and is rather difficult and awkward to move along as it cuts the coal. In moving the coal cutting machine along the ground, one of the most difficult problems is the making of a new connection or grip between the cable and the clamp anchored to the stake. In the previous types of clamps, it is very difiicult to lace the end of the rope through the clamp. Moreover, when removing a broken rope, the difficulty and the time consumed are even much more trouble than lacing the rope through the clamp, because after the end of the rope becomes battered it requires considerable effort to punch out the heart. My invention finds particular utility for clamping the cable and obviates all of the dificulties heretofore experienced in taking up the slack upon the cable. While I will describe my invention as finding particular application in gripping the cable used for dragging a coal cutting machine, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to this particular application as there are many other applications in Which my invention may be found very useful.

An object of my invention is the provision of a clamping device for clamping a cable or rope or the like, in which the cable or rope may be readily and easily inserted or removed.

Another object of my invention is the provi sion of a clamping device which gives a gripping action in substantial proportion to the pull upon the cable or rope.

' Another object of my invention is the provision of a clamping device having an offset loop on one side of the clamping device in substantial alignment with the pull side of the clamping device.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a clamp having an offset portion in the anchoring loop in substantial alignment with the opening on the pull side of the clamp, in which the opening on the pull side of the clamp is substantially smooth to permit the rope or cable to slip therethrough and in which the opening on the opposite side of the clamp is corrugated to provide a gripping surface upon the rope or cable.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a clamp having a channel in which the cable or rope may be easily and readily inserted or removed, in combination with a wedge which is adapted to fit within the channel and grip the rope or cable.

Another object of my invention is the provi- 1.- sion of a clamp having a channel to receive the cable or rope, wherein the sides of the channel are reinforced against spreading when a pull is exerted upon the cable or rope.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of it) my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating the application of my invention as applied to a coal cutting ma chine;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a device embodying the features of my invention;

Figure 3 is a View of the lower end of the invention shown in Figure 2; 20

Figure 4 is a view of the underneath side of the wedge portion that is adapted to fit into the channel of my device;

Figure 5 is a View of the lower end of the wedge shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view of the lower end of the in vention shown in Figure 2, with the upper wedge portion removed; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of the device taken along the .line 'l'l of Figure 2.

With reference to Figure 1 or" the drawing, the reference character i represents a stake and the reference character 8 represents a coal cutting machine which is adapted to be dragged along the ground by the cable Hi. My clamping de- 35 vice is indicated by the reference character 9 and is arranged to anchor the cable M to the stake I. My device comprises, generally, a loop portion l0 which fits around the stake and a forward rope or cable receiving portion II which is adapted to 0 engage the cable or rope M. The rope receiving portion H and the loop portion ill may be integrally constructed such as by casting or otherwise of one solid piece. Slidably mounted upon the rope engageable part II is a removable engageable part i2 having a heart shaped wedge E3. The rope engageable part I l is provided with a channel into which the cable or rope M may be easily and readily inserted or removed when the moveable engageable part I2 is removed. The arcuate sides of the channel between which the rope or cable is inserted are represented, respectively, by the reference characters 20 and 2| and the sides of the heart shaped lug l3 are represented respectively, by the reference characters .5;

22 and 23. The side portions of the channels are provided with two substantially parallel longitudinal shoulders l6 and H which are complementarily engaged by two substantially parallel longitudinal shoulders I8 and |9 provided on the removable engageable part l2. The side edges of the shoulders l6 and I1, and the shoulders I8 and I9 are somewhat inclined to give a dove-tail engagement, so that the removable engageable part I2 is constrained from being raised with reference to the rope engageable part II. The longitudinal shoulders are substantially parallel so that the removable engageable part |2 may slide longitudinally with the rope engageable part II, as pull is exerted upon the cable or rope M.

In mounting the rope or wire stranded cable I4, the removable part I2 is removed and the cable is placed in the channel by forming somewhat of an enlarged loop therein. After the cable is formed in the loop, the removable part I2 is placed on top of the rope engageable part I I with the heart shaped lug l3 fitting betwen the looped sides of the cable or rope. The inside arcuate walls 20 and 2| of the rope engageable part II and the outside arcuate side walls 22 and 23 of the heart shaped wedge portion l3 are inclined or tapered so that as tension is placed upon the cable the removable part l2 moves forwardly and automatically grips the cable or rope.

In order that the pull upon the rope might be substantially straight, I provide an offset portion l5 in the loop portion l8 so that when a pull is exerted upon the clamping device by the cable, the offset portion I5 will align itself and engage the stake 1. Because of the offset portion IS, the entire clamping device assumes under a pulling action a slight angularity and constrains the opening defined by the side walls 2| and 22 into substantial alignment with the pull side of the rope. That is, the rope on the pull side of the clamp extends substantially straight out of the clamp and does not make a bend or kink at the point where the cable leaves the opening defined by the side walls 2| and 22. In actual operation, the cable, under a pulling action, will not take the position as shown in Figure 2, but will extend from the opening defined by the sides 2| and 22 in substantial straight alignment. The opening defined by the sides 20 and 23 is corrugated on the side 22, as shown in Figure 7 to give a firm grip upon the cable or rope. As illustrated,'the corrugations may be made complementary to the angle of the twisted strand of the rope or cable in order to give a good grip. Therefore, in my device the free end of the rope or cable is readily gripped by the squeezing action of the side walls 20 and 23, whereas the rope or cable may slip in the opening defined by the side walls 2| and 22, allowing the shoulders l8 and IQ of the removable part 52 having the wedge |3 to slide longitudinally along the shoulders l6 and I1, until the final gripping action is established.

I find that a strong pull upon the cable tends to cause the side walls 2| and 20 of the channel to slightly spread thereby rendering the clamping action inefiective. In my device, the complementary engagement of the shoulders l6 and H, and the shoulders l8 and I9 prevents the side walls of the channel from spreading and renders my device capable of withstanding a strong pull.

The arrangement of the offset portion IS in the loop portion |ll causing a straight pull on the pull side of the rope or cable through the smooth opening, and the corrugations in the opposite opening exerting a greater clamping or gripping effect, produce a combined action which renders my device adaptable for efiicient operation, particularly in inserting and removing the removable part I2. That is to say, the combined arrangement allows the rope to slip through the pull side opening both for the insertion or removal. If the openings on both sides were caused to engage firmly the rope, it would be somewhat diflicult to take care of the longitudinal movement of the removable part I2, both for insertion or removal.

The term rope or cable as used herein embraces flexible tension members of all kinds adaptable for use with my device and the openings defined by the arcuate side walls 2| and 22, and 20 and 23 may be arranged to accommodate various kinds and sizes of ropes or cables.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A clamp for a rope comprising, in combination, a member having a rope engageable part for receiving the rope, said rope engageable part having a channel embraced by side portions constituting the rope receiving portion, said side portiops of the channel having longitudinally disposed internal side walls and longitudinally disposed external shoulders, a removable engageable part extending across the channel and having longitudinally disposed internal shoulders adapted to engage the said external shoulders to aid in preventing the side portions of the channel from spreading, said removable engageable part having a wedge portion adapted to project into the channel, the internal side walls of the side portions of the channel and the sides of the wedge portion defining two openings to receive and clamp the rope, one of said internal side walls of the side portions of the channel being substantially smooth and the other said internal side wall being corrugated, said external and internal shoulders being adapted to make longitudinal dove-tail engagement with each other and being adapted to slide relative to each other in a longitudinal direction.

2. A clamp for a rope comprising, in combination, a member having a rope engageable part for receiving the rope, said rope engageable part having a channel embraced by side portions constituting the rope receiving portion, said side portions of the channel having longitudinally disposed internal side walls and longitudinally disposed external shoulders, a removable engageable part extending across the channel and having longitudinally disposed internal shoulders adapted to engage the said external shoulders to aid in preventing the side portions of the channel from spreading, said removable engageable part having a wedge portion adapted to project into the channel, the internal side walls of the side portions of the channel and the sides of the wedge portion defining two openings to receive and clamp the rope, said external and internal shoulders being adapted to make longitudinal dove-tail engagement with each other and being adapted to slide relative to each other in a longitudinal direction.

3. A clamp for a rope comprising, in combination, a member having an ofiset anchoring part and having a rope engageable part for receiving the rope, said rope engageable part having a channel embraced by side portions constituting the rope receiving portion, said side portions of the channel having longitudinally disposed in-v ternal side walls and longitudinally disposed external shoulders, a removable engageable part extending across the channel and having longitudinally disposed internal shoulders adapted to engage the said external shoulders to aid in preventing the side portions of the channel from spreading, said removable engageable part having an integral wedge portion adapted to project into the channel, the internal side walls of the side portions of the channel and the sides of the wedge portion being substantially parallel and defining two openings to receive andclamp the rope, one of said internal side Walls of the side portions of the channel being substantially smooth and the other said internal side Wall being corrugated, said external and internal shoulders being adapted to make longitudinal dove-tail engagement with each other and being adapted to slide relative to each other in a longitudinal direction.

CHARLES L. BOWMAN. 

